Genome Diversity, Recombination, and Virulence across the Major Lineages of .

The genus includes two species of thermally dimorphic fungi that cause paracoccidioidomycosis, a neglected health-threatening human systemic mycosis endemic to Latin America. To examine the genome evolution and the diversity of spp., we conducted whole-genome sequencing of 31 isolates representing the phylogenetic, geographic, and ecological breadth of the genus.

Comparative Phylogenomics of Pathogenic and Nonpathogenic Species.

The Ascomycete Onygenales order embraces a diverse group of mammalian pathogens, including the yeast-forming dimorphic fungal pathogens Histoplasma capsulatum, Paracoccidioides spp. and Blastomyces dermatitidis, the dermatophytes Microsporum spp. and Trichopyton spp.

The Dynamic Genome and Transcriptome of the Human Fungal Pathogen Blastomyces and Close Relative Emmonsia.

Three closely related thermally dimorphic pathogens are causal agents of major fungal diseases affecting humans in the Americas: blastomycosis, histoplasmosis and paracoccidioidomycosis. Here we report the genome sequence and analysis of four strains of the etiological agent of blastomycosis, Blastomyces, and two species of the related genus Emmonsia, typically pathogens of small mammals. Compared to related species, Blastomyces genomes are highly expanded, with long, often sharply demarcated tracts of low GC-content sequence.

Genomics in Coccidioides: insights into evolution, ecology, and pathogenesis.

Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii, the causative agents of the mammalian disease coccidioidomycosis, are dimorphic fungal pathogens distributed throughout desert-like environments in North and South America. Coccidioides spp.

Extracellular ammonia at sites of pulmonary infection with Coccidioides posadasii contributes to severity of the respiratory disease.

Coccidioides is the causative agent of a potentially life-threatening respiratory disease of humans. A feature of this mycosis is that pH measurements of the microenvironment of pulmonary abscesses are consistently alkaline due to ammonia production during the parasitic cycle. We previously showed that enzymatically active urease is partly responsible for elevated concentrations of extracellular ammonia at sites of lung infection and contributes to both localized host tissue damage and exacerbation of the respiratory disease in BALB/c mice.

Increased resistance to Staphylococcus aureus endophthalmitis in BALB/c mice: Fas ligand is required for resolution of inflammation but not for bacterial clearance.

FasL was recently shown be required for bacterial clearance in C57BL/6 mice that express the FasL.1 allotype. The FasL.

Comparative transcriptomics of the saprobic and parasitic growth phases in Coccidioides spp.

Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii, the causative agents of coccidioidomycosis, are dimorphic fungal pathogens, which grow as hyphae in the saprobic phase in the environment and as spherules in the parasitic phase in the mammalian host. In this study, we use comparative transcriptomics to identify gene expression differences between the saprobic and parasitic growth phases.

Brachytherapy with permanent gold grain seeds for squamous cell carcinoma of the lip.

Purpose: To describe the use of radioactive gold grain implantation for squamous cell carcinoma of the lip.

Methods: Retrospective review of 51 patients treated with permanent gold ((198)Au) grain implant brachytherapy. The seed arrangement delivered a dose of 5500 cGy at 0.

Population genomic sequencing of Coccidioides fungi reveals recent hybridization and transposon control.

We have sequenced the genomes of 18 isolates of the closely related human pathogenic fungi Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii to more clearly elucidate population genomic structure, bringing the total number of sequenced genomes for each species to 10. Our data confirm earlier microsatellite-based findings that these species are genetically differentiated, but our population genomics approach reveals that hybridization and genetic introgression have recently occurred between the two species. The directionality of introgression is primarily from C.

alphaB-crystallin protects retinal tissue during Staphylococcus aureus-induced endophthalmitis.

Bacterial infections of the eye highlight a dilemma that is central to all immune-privileged sites. On the one hand, immune privilege limits inflammation to prevent bystander destruction of normal tissue and loss of vision. On the other hand, bacterial infections require a robust inflammatory response for rapid clearance of the pathogen.